48÷2(9+3) = ????

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by krystar

well in engineering scope, there is no such thing as infinitely repeating.

Right. That would be...intolerable! That's why tolerance is specified on technical drawings, right?

but in mathematics, there is. in engineering and physics and alot of other applied math fields, precision actually matters.

But often within a specified tolerance, right?

in pure math, 1=1.0=1.00=1.00000000 but in engineering, we know those are completely different.

Only for some intolerant applied math users who have a disdain for pure math.

..

[krystar]

Originally Posted by AirKuhl

Umm.....read this carefully.

yea...that's what i said. cause if it was ambiguous, then saying it's 2 wouldn't be interpreting incorrectly.

[AirKuhl]

Originally Posted by krystar

yea...that's what i said. cause if it was ambiguous, then saying it's 2 wouldn't be interpreting incorrectly.

And I'm saying that "easy to misinterpret" = "ambiguous". You can't absolve the writer of 100% of the responsibility to be clear.

All wordplay aside, it doesn't matter if technically it's interpretable. It's not a coincidence that people get a different answer. The equation is intentionally ambiguous. We all know it. It's obvious. This is all about sociology, not math.

[romad]

YouTube - 48÷2(9+3) - Hitler parody

[BeyGon]

Those are always good,

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by AirKuhl

And I'm saying that "easy to misinterpret" = "ambiguous".

Really?

You can't absolve the writer of 100% of the responsibility to be clear.

When did this thread become about absolution? I thought it was about solution.

All wordplay aside, it doesn't matter if technically it's interpretable.

I agree. It is interpretable, right?

It's not a coincidence that people get a different answer.

Right. And it's not a coincidence when more flunk a math test than pass, either.

The equation is intentionally ambiguous.

You don't know the author's intent. And it's not ambiguous.

We all know it.

I don't,

It's obvious.

It's not obvious.

This is all about sociology, not math.

I say it's about math...not to say that it's not sociologically amusing.

The answer is 288 (I'm a world famous math expert...but only four (4) people know).

..

[krystar]

Originally Posted by AirKuhl

And I'm saying that "easy to misinterpret" = "ambiguous". You can't absolve the writer of 100% of the responsibility to be clear.

All wordplay aside, it doesn't matter if technically it's interpretable. It's not a coincidence that people get a different answer. The equation is intentionally ambiguous. We all know it. It's obvious. This is all about sociology, not math.

heh. however if this problem was given to on a 5th grade math test, "this expression is ambiguous" is not going to get you points for the question.


i really wonder....will this meme make it onto Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

[krystar]

Originally Posted by romad

YouTube - 48÷2(9+3) - Hitler parody

lol awesome!

[TimT]

There is no indications that someone is claiming the final solution. In fact its very clear across the INTERNET that this is not solvable. With out knowing the intent of the equation there is no way of proving the equation.

I had the same teacher for Calc 2,3 and advanced mathematics, got a break from him for Diff Eqs. He was legendary in his own mind for assigning unsolvable problems as group projects. The class would break into study groups and work for a week or two on the problems... even when we caught on to his game and the unsolvable problems.. he required proof why the problems were unsolvable..

When I used to throw darts I imagined his face as the cork...Now with the benefit of hindsight working on those problems was all part of the learning experience..

[patssle]

Yeah the first couple pages are hilarious.

Order of operations. A number outside of parentheses indicates multiplication. Simply re-write it as this after doing inside the parentheses:

48/2X12

Re-writing it with 48 over a line is wrong. Nothing groups the 2 with the 12.

[UconnTim97]

Originally Posted by romad

YouTube - 48÷2(9+3) - Hitler parody

Well done. Very funny!

[svandamme]

bump for 288

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by svandamme

bump for 288

The correct answer is 2!

I don't give a damn what these bogus calculators say.

[DARISC]

I finally found a legitimate calculator.

Any of you thirtyseven percenters gonna have the audacity to argue with THIS?

[gr8fl4porsche]

It's a great question. I have shown this equation to several people. They all answer 2.

It seems to be logical to divide 48 by 2x12 = 2

I agree that it is a poorly formatted question and makes it very confusing.

Most of us are college grads with years of math, stat, calc, etc. and still argue the answer.


Sometimes, just because it is right doesn't make it right.

When I look at the question, I see 48 / (2*12) but can also see the other side which is
48 / 2 * 12

Reminds me of

[pwsmission]

My answer is 2 ...

[Hard-Deck]

It is: 2

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by gr8fl4porsche

That is not a lamp; it's a closeup detail shot of a specially padded crutch designed for beach goers and nudists to alleviate underarm scratchiness and is marketed as 'The Cratch'.

[DARISC]

How do you guys who think it's 2 explain that the above eight calculators say it's 288?

[jdlowery]

I'm joining this thread late but there's a certain order to which you perform the calculations. The order is operations in parenthesis then, multiply, divide, add, subtract. That's how I get 2.